Egg salad is a vegetarian sandwich go-to, especially for picnics. I love it, but not when it’s overloaded with mayonnaise, so I used Goddess dressing instead, which gets its creaminess from a tahini base. With the addition of the Dijon mustard and the spices, I didn’t find that this combination lacked any of the flavor of the fattier versions.

I love putting potato chips in my sandwiches, but didn’t have them in the house so I used the one vegetable I did have in my refrigerator-kale-which can easily be made into chips with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and fifteen minutes in the oven. They give the sandwich a good crunch and extra saltiness, with the nutrition of a leafy green. With a few slices of sharp cheddar cheese, and the toasted rustic bread from Chef Marcus’ cookbook (which, as I baked it, tastes a bit like biscuits), this became a great summer sandwich to take to the park and enjoy in the sun.

Bread Recipe adapted from New American Table, modified for those of us without an electric mixer or a pizza stone

Directions

To Make Bread:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast with 1 cup warm water and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
3. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture and olive oil to the bowl with the yeast. Mix together until a dough forms, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and over with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
4. Punch down the dough and transfer to a floured baking sheet. Roll the dough out to a 14-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Prick the surface all over with the tines of a fork. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden.

For the kale chips:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange about the kale leaves on a baking sheet. Toss with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt. Bake for about 15 minutes or until crispy.

Prepare the sandwich:

Toast two slices of the rustic bread, and assemble the sandwich with the egg salad, the kale chips, two slices of cheddar, and an extra layer or mustard if you like.

Meet the Team

Whether it’s finding the best goat tacos in LA, spotting a well-worn vintage bag in Sweden, or interviewing the “crab man” selling seafood on a corner in Harlem, we tell stories seen from Chef Marcus Samuelsson‘s point of view. MarcusSamuelsson.com strives to create conversations about food, nutrition, culture, art, and design. We want to find Read More